Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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132. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which he may provide for extra step-down beds in the public sector, thereby alleviating overcrowding in public hospitals; the extent to which such provision has been matched to the level of overcrowding in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21189/15]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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134. To ask the Minister for Health the extent to which the private nursing home sector has been utilised in efforts to alleviate overcrowding in the public sector hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21191/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 134 together.

Delayed Discharges arise when a patient has been judged clinically to no longer have a requirement for acute hospital care but remains in an acute hospital bed, thus rendering that bed unavailable for patients who need admission. As of 19 May, there are 668 delayed discharges nationally, of whom 381 are in the Dublin Academic Teaching Hospitals. This compares to a high of 830 in December 2014.

In Budget 2015, €25m was provided to support services that provide alternative to, and relieve pressures on acute hospitals.

Of this €25m:

- €10mwas used to provide an additional 300 places under the Nursing Homes Support Scheme reducing the waiting time from a peak of 17 weeks to 11 weeks;

- €8mwas allocated to provide access to an additional 115 short-stay beds across the Dublin area;

- €5mwas used to provide 400 additional Home Care Packages which will benefit 600 people in the course of the year; and

- €2mwas used to expand the community intervention team services in primary care across Dublin and the surrounding region.

At the beginning of April 2015, it was announced that an additional€74mhas been allocated to further tackle the on-going issue of delayed discharges, to reduce length of stay in hospitals and have faster assessment of patients in emergency departments.

Of this €74m:

- €44m has been allocated to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme which will provide 1,600 places and has already reduced the waiting time for approved applicants down to 4 weeks from 11 weeks in March; the numbers on the national placement list have reduced down to 565 as of the 19 May 2015.

- The remaining€30mwill meet the cost of measures additional to those covered by the above €25m allocation which were needed because of the severity of the on-going pressures. This included the provision of 1,819(at 1st April 2015) additional transitional care beds on a temporary basis. As a measure to address delayed discharges,250community care beds are to be opened up outside of acute hospitals on a permanent basis.

- 173 beds have been identified which can be opened on a short or long term basis and as a mix of short stay, rehab and long-term care.

As of 8 May, 110 of these beds are opened.

- 24 beds have been opened at Moorehall in Co. Louth.

- 65 beds are to be opened on a phased basis in Mount Carmel - as of 8 May 10 of these beds are opened.

The HSE is continuing to look at every possible options for alternative accommodation to address the issue of delayed discharges. Among the priority areas identified for the health sector is the commitment to "modernise health facilities". This includes pursuing alternative public/private options to provide new community nursing units.

The Department has commissioned a research project to identify and assess the various policy options available to Government to encourage the provision, including the upgrading and refurbishment of nursing home and community nursing unit facilities in areas where they are needed. This project is currently underway and is due for completion in July 2015.

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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133. To ask the Minister for Health if an audit has been done of the various public hospitals or nursing homes to ascertain the extent to which overcrowding in public hospitals may be alleviated; if St. Brigid's Hospital, Crooksling, County Dublin, continues to play its part in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21190/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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As this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and they will follow up the matter with them.